A church employee has been charged in connection with an arson, vandalism, and burglary incident at Concord "Fortress of Hope" Church over the weekend.

Nathaniel D. Nelson, 48, has been taken into federal custody and charged with arson.

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Nelson was a member of the church, and a maintenance worker at the facility.

First responders were originally called to the center in the 11000 block of W. Longview Parkway early Sunday after a fire was reported in an office in the building's cultural center.

Investigators determined an office chair and other material had been intentionally ignited inside that building.

Investigators also found racist graffiti spray-painted on the front of the church.

The digital video recorder for the building's surveillance system was unplugged and no

longer recording when examined by investigators. Authorities determined that system lost power sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday.

A review of the existing video on that system showed Nathaniel Nelson was in the church's foyer shortly before the DVR was deactivated.

Unbeknownst to Nelson - a second DVR captured him spray-painting the front of that church.

A KCPD Deputy Chief, and a member of that church, was able to identify Nelson from that surveillance footage.

Nelson told authorities he originally went to his office at the cultural center around 8 p.m. Saturday to smoke crack cocaine. After getting high, Nelson said he went into the church office area and attempted to break in to the financial office to steal money. When he couldn't get in - he went through two adjacent offices and stole $140 from one, and $94 from another.

Nelson told investigators that's when he left to go buy more crack.

Court documents show Nelson said he was able to purchase four crack rocks for $125. He then returned to the church to get high again. This time he attempted to break into vending machines located in the gymnasium in the cultural center. Nelson said he was only able to steal $2 from those machines.

Nelson then said he again left the church to purchase more crack. He told investigators that after he bought four more crack rocks, he again returned to the church to get high. Nelson said he only paid $75 for the additional crack with the promise that he would provide his source $200 in food stamps at a later time.

A release said Nelson admitted to intentionally unplugging one DVR system - but he did not know a second system existed.

He told investigators that he intentionally set a fire inside the office area of the cultural center using clothing and paper towels that he set next to an office chair. Nelson also told investigators he spray-painted the front of the church with hateful graffiti and intentionally set the fire to create a diversion and throw investigators off.